TEC cooled Condenser

flyer45 · Post by **flyer45** » Mon Nov 14, 2005 7:20 pm

I had what I thought was a neat idea and share it and see what everyone thinks about it. I was wondering if it is possible that instead of using water to cool a condenser if one could use a thermoelectric cooler, which is basically a 50x50mm chip. The way one of these chips works is one side gets really really hot and one side gets equally cold when an electrical current is applied through it. I thought perhaps if I attached the TEC to a copper plate, and solder that a pipe which could be used as the condenser? Is this even possible or would it just be a waste to try?

Post by **Grayson_Stewart** » Mon Nov 14, 2005 7:22 pm

Purchase 200 chips, try it and let us all know how it turns out.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon Nov 14, 2005 7:40 pm

im not positive it will work but i would rather use cheap water to cool the condencer

Brett · Post by **Brett** » Tue Nov 15, 2005 5:03 am

like grayson said i dont think one chip would do it and how cold do they actually get?

Midol · Post by **Midol** » Tue Nov 15, 2005 5:31 am

I am skeptical of using water, mostly because i was instructed to run around 5lpm through it which comes to 1000L+ per run... in a draught(SP) that is alot of water...

flyer45 · Post by **flyer45** » Tue Nov 15, 2005 6:08 am

http://www.melcor.com/cpseries.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow lists the properties of the various chips. The maximum temperature difference between the hot side and the cool side is 68 degrees C. Thus, of you can keep the hot side at 25 degrees (as stated on the given website) by using a CPU heat sink, then you could get the cold side to -43 degrees C.

jbrew9999 · Post by **jbrew9999** » Tue Nov 15, 2005 6:33 am

Those types of thermoelectric cooling units are used in lots of High end computer systems. They work.

Perhaps the condenser coil on a reflux still could be replaced with one of those chips' cold side bonded to a heat sink which is inverted and placed inside the top end of the condenser shell. The heatsink would stay super cold and the hot side (which may need its own heatsink, would disapate heat up into the atmoshere.

EDIT: On second thought, one of those that is 2.44" x 2.44" only absorbs 120Watts so you'd need several.

The Chemist · Post by **The Chemist** » Tue Nov 15, 2005 6:51 am

My homebrew supplier uses a Peltier to control the temp of his fermentations to good effect

. With a column, I think you'd need more, and maybe water is more cost effective.

Wizard · Post by **Wizard** » Tue Nov 15, 2005 7:19 am

i use 3 cat litter buckets.. on the water return bucket i have 2 holes at the bottom conecting to the mid bucket by 2 3 inch garden hoses on the other side of the mid bucket i cut the holes 1/2 way up to conect to the bucket with the pump in it i keep frozen milk jugs in the return and mid buckets keeps the water right a 60f and uses very little water about 4 gal of water and about 8 to 10 ice jugs

Brett · Post by **Brett** » Tue Nov 15, 2005 8:14 am

to not waste ur water use a big garden plastic trash can and a submersible garden fountain pump,, job done

Watershed · Post by **Watershed** » Tue Nov 15, 2005 10:42 am

I don't even circulate the water - 4gal bucket condenser, will do two 1 gal washes without needing the water changing but I change 50% after the first run.

Watershed · Post by **Watershed** » Tue Nov 15, 2005 12:01 pm

theholymackerel wrote:If yere usin' a coil in a bucket as a condencer all ya need is for the bucket to be slightly larger than the boiler and yer set. No need for runnin' water or ice or anythin'.

True, but does anyone else end up with a sodding parrot bathing in it if they turn their back for 2 mins?

Brett · Post by **Brett** » Tue Nov 15, 2005 1:42 pm

anyone ever tried boiled parrot with a dash of tobasco

Blueraven · Post by **Blueraven** » Tue Nov 15, 2005 2:23 pm

Hey even a drunk parrot needs to keep clean

linw · Post by **linw** » Tue Nov 15, 2005 2:53 pm

What sort of parrot is he? Is he a big drinker??!!

Brett · Post by **Brett** » Tue Nov 15, 2005 2:57 pm

and whats his fave tipple

Blueraven · Post by **Blueraven** » Tue Nov 15, 2005 3:14 pm

Actully my old dog Blue, rest his soul,. did like beer. He liked the ales and hefeweizen. Trouble was he was diabetic and I had to give him 35 units, shots, twice daily. Well we always went for walks in the woods after work and he would slurp 1/2 to a whole glass. Anyway he was smart because when his blood sugar was ok he'd drink when it wasnt he wld turn his head. Thats when i knew to chk his blood sugar..

Neat huh? He's 1/2 the team in my Avatar..

Post by **Tater** » Tue Nov 15, 2005 4:44 pm

Mt pot bellied pig Willie was right fond of rum and coke. And cold budwiser.But was ill tempered when drunk.Kept tryin to pick fights with my bulldog

Post by **Grayson_Stewart** » Tue Nov 15, 2005 5:18 pm

My lab expected a bowl of Bacardi and coke after a day in the field....but after a bowl that dog wouldn't hunt.

Blueraven · Post by **Blueraven** » Tue Nov 15, 2005 5:22 pm

Ha thats a riot.

We aught to have another index titled "Animal Tales & Alcohol"

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue Nov 15, 2005 7:39 pm

My wife had a beagle that liked to do shots of ice 101.

Pothead

Blueraven · Post by **Blueraven** » Tue Nov 15, 2005 7:54 pm

Or maybe just

Animal Tails and other Stories of Consequence..